No abstract

Arrays of edge magnetic coils and statistical analysis techniques have been used to investigate the magnetic fluctuation structure in the HBTX-1A reversed field pinch. The superficially random fluctuations can in fact be attributed almost entirely to global modes with poloidal mode number m = 0 and 1, provided account is taken of toroidal distortion of the modes. A toroidal array of coils discloses a broad spectrum of toroidal mode numbers with peak at Inl ~ 10 and significant variation with time and frequency. Cross-correlation establishes that | n | ~ 10 corresponds to m = 1, a helical mode resonant inside the reversal surface, and also shows the presence of m = 0, n ~ 0. The time-scales of the fluctuation indicate that the instabilities are probably resistive in character, and the mode amplitudes are such that island overlap and magnetic field ergodization should occur. The energy confinement time due to stochastic transport, estimated from the measured fluctuations, is consistent with that observed experimentally.

Magnetic separatrix configurations have been produced in JET for plasma currents of up to 3 MA. Experimental results obtained with these configurations show that some features can be achieved that are common to divertor tokamaks. In Ohmic discharges, high recycling regimes can be produced. In neutral beam heated discharges, substantial improvement of the energy confinement time is achieved together with the characteristic signatures of an H-mode. These characteristics include improved particle confinement, flatter density profile, and an increase in electron temperature especially at the edge, leading to a characteristic pedestal feature. At higher neutral beam power, higher plasma densities are reached, with deterioration of beam penetration and strong radiation losses in the outer region of the plasma. The global energy confinement time in the H-mode is observed to degrade with additional power. However, results of radial power balance analysis suggest that in the central region, where the radiation is not important, the degradation of confinement is small.

No abstract

The simultaneous inoculum of yeasts and bacteria is a feasible solution for improving fermentation in wines with a harsh chemical composition, capable of inhibiting microbial activity. Considering the risk of wine spoilage due to lactic bacteria, co-inoculum is suggested in white wines with a low pH. However, climate change has also caused problems in achieving malolactic fermentation in red wines, due to the high concentration of ethanol and the low nutrient content. In this work, 5 pairs of commercial oenological starters were tested in simultaneous fermentation, using 4 red musts with a low nitrogen content, and compared with a traditional winemaking process. The simultaneous inoculum caused a slowdown in the activity of yeasts, although no problems in the accomplishment of alcoholic fermentations were observed. More reliable malolactic fermentation was performed in the co-inoculum trials, while, in traditional winemaking, some failures in the degradation of malic acid were observed. Microbiological analyses agreed with these observations. No differences were found in yeast density during alcoholic fermentation, demonstrating the absence of negative interaction between the yeast and the bacteria. However, simultaneous fermentation is not without risks; the highest increases of acetic acid were noted in the coinoculum trials. The addition of yeast and bacteria to must with a serious lack of nutrients would appear to be a promising alternative to traditional fermentation; however, careful control of the chemical composition of must is mandatory to obtain reliable microbiological activity in the first stages of winemaking.